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Best Rechargeable Batteries for Oregon 450


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I use Powerex on my Oregon 550. I have also used the Ray-O-Vac hybrid batteries. Both w/o problems. I think the general consensus is, however, to get a "smart" charger that properly charges the batteries without overheating them and that can recondition them from time to time. I have a LaCrosse BC-900 charger, but I have read people are happy with Maha chargers as well. Thomas Distributing is a well-regarded online seller of these and other items. I have purchased from that site a few times now and have had no regrets.

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What are the best batteries for the Oregon 450? I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge. What is everyone using?
Where you live, it's not so much an issue. Here in Colorado in the winter, I've moved on from my trusty NiMH cells to some new (actually very old, but works now) battery chemistry called Nickel Zinc.

 

The problem I run into here is temperature. Since NiMH cells start at a low voltage and just go lower from there, and all cells have issues with power and voltage when cold, we never get the full available power from NiMH cells here when they start to get really cold. The energy is still in there, you just can't "get it out" because the voltage drops to the point where the GPS decides it's just too low to use.

 

The NiZn cells start at the kind of voltage you see in one-time lithium cells like the Energizer lithiums, but are rechargable. Contrary to the manufacturer's claims, they don't have any more "power" than a NiMH -- in fact, it's a bit less, but the voltage holds up really well until they finally just go over the cliff when they're discharged. Works great as a winter solution. Not all that much better than NiMH in warm climates like yours, though. One extra advantage -- since their discharge voltage profile is really flat, I don't find myself having to recalibrate my compass as I use them through the course of a day. That's an extra bennie for those with a mag compass feature like I've got, and like your 450 has.

 

For warm weather use, I still run good old Energizer 2500mAh NiMH cells and an older model LaCrosse charger. I'd recommend you buy a Lacrosse, but you may have a bugger of a time finding one right now. They wound up in a product recall and production halt, and so the BC-900 and more recent BC-9009 are impossible to locate at the present. I did find an old BC-700 out there on Amazon not long back, and that will do most of what you'd want. It will treat your NiMH cells kindly and keeps them in tip-top shape. You can set up 4 cells in different states of discharge individually with just a few button pushes. My only serious gripe with the Maha chargers is that it takes to many steps to accomplish the same objective.

 

If you go with NiMH, another factor will be whether you tend to get them in service and use them to depletion pretty soon after you charge them. If so, the older type NiMH cells will do just fine for you since you won't be bothered by their tendency to self-discharge over time if you just let them sit. If you keep your cells or your GPS in your desk drawer (gets dark and lonely in there) for extended periods, it may save you having to top them off in the charger if you buy the newer versions that self-discharge at a much slower rate.

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Costco has a rechargeable set for 20 bucks. Comes with 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries and a charger for 4 of them at a time. I have the Oregon 300 and the NiMH batteries last 3 times as long or longer than standard batteries.

 

I cant tell you if its a smart charger but for 20 bucks, I have no issue with replacing the whole set every year or so.

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I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge.

I'm not sure if I understand what you're saying. But if you're asking if there are any batteries that you can recharge inside the GPSr, the answer is no.

 

To answer your other question, I've used both Eneloop and the batteries that came with my LaCrosse BC-9009. Both work well, but I wouldn't use the BC-9009 if they've been sitting in my bag for more than a week.

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So I don't understand then the car docking kit with charger...There is USB thing to plug in to the unit and cigarette lighter.. does that simply power the unit and not do anything to recharge batteries? I see "car chargers" for these units..Please explain.

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So I don't understand then the car docking kit with charger...There is USB thing to plug in to the unit and cigarette lighter.. does that simply power the unit and not do anything to recharge batteries?
That is correct. The handheld itself does not contain any charging circuitry for the batteries. USB power is to power the unit only.
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So I don't understand then the car docking kit with charger...There is USB thing to plug in to the unit and cigarette lighter.. does that simply power the unit and not do anything to recharge batteries?
That is correct. The handheld itself does not contain any charging circuitry for the batteries. USB power is to power the unit only.

Sanyo Eneloops are the best. They also sell them rebranded as Duracell with the white top...

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1. Stay far away from the Energizer rechargables. they are the worse way to spend your money. They don't last and don't hold a charge ( I have a LaCrosse smart charger too)

 

2. Duracell pre-charged are great. So are Sanyo eneloops. So are Kodak pre-charged.

 

3. get a good charger and not the junk that comes with 4 batteries for 15 bucks at Walmart.

 

I use a LaCrosse BC9000 for charging batteries for kids toys as well as my toys. The pre-charged batteries are a good thing as they don't slowly discharge when not in use like most NiMH batteries do. They hold a charge for months. They cost a bit more but well worth it for me. I got tired of charging those junk Energizers and having them be completely dead in 3 days just sitting there.

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1. Stay far away from the Energizer rechargables. they are the worse way to spend your money. They don't last and don't hold a charge ( I have a LaCrosse smart charger too)
Your experience may be colored by the earlier Energizer NiMH cells. They've changed quite a bit over the years, including in capacity (2100mAh up through a couple of iterations, and now 2500mAh). For the last year or so, I've been rotating two sets of the 2500mAh version through my old BC-700, and if you can believe the LaCrosse and its "Test" function, they're holding up very well. It still reports something on the order of 2400mAh capacity.
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What are the best batteries for the Oregon 450? I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge. What is everyone using?
Where you live, it's not so much an issue. Here in Colorado in the winter, I've moved on from my trusty NiMH cells to some new (actually very old, but works now) battery chemistry called Nickel Zinc.

 

The problem I run into here is temperature. Since NiMH cells start at a low voltage and just go lower from there, and all cells have issues with power and voltage when cold, we never get the full available power from NiMH cells here when they start to get really cold. The energy is still in there, you just can't "get it out" because the voltage drops to the point where the GPS decides it's just too low to use.

 

The NiZn cells start at the kind of voltage you see in one-time lithium cells like the Energizer lithiums, but are rechargable. Contrary to the manufacturer's claims, they don't have any more "power" than a NiMH -- in fact, it's a bit less, but the voltage holds up really well until they finally just go over the cliff when they're discharged. Works great as a winter solution. Not all that much better than NiMH in warm climates like yours, though. One extra advantage -- since their discharge voltage profile is really flat, I don't find myself having to recalibrate my compass as I use them through the course of a day. That's an extra bennie for those with a mag compass feature like I've got, and like your 450 has.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on batteries for cold weather use-I also live in Colorado.

 

Can you share what brand NiZn batteries you use and your source.

 

Does the Lacrosse charger also work for NiZn?

 

Thanks

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Thanks for your thoughts on batteries for cold weather use-I also live in Colorado.

 

Can you share what brand NiZn batteries you use and your source.

 

Does the Lacrosse charger also work for NiZn?

 

Thanks

The only source for these at present is Powergenix. They must NOT be charged the way NiMH batteries are. These cells actually prefer a much higher than normal charging current (between 0.5C and 1.0C) at a float voltage capable of finishing at 1.9V. So no, the Lacrosse chargers are designed for NiCd and NiMH, and should never be used for lithium (constant voltage vs. constant current) or NiZn.

 

As far as I know, Powergenix is the only outfit to have licked the production issues that have previously kept this chemistry from being successful. Edison actually patented rechargeable NiZn (!), but until recently, you couldn't get enough cycles on them without internal failures to warrant the expense.

 

I picked up a set of 4 AA Powergenix and the charger here:

 

http://www.amazon.com/PowerGenix-ZR-PGX1HR...0595&sr=1-1

Edited by ecanderson
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I, too, just bought the La Crosse BC-700 from Amazon. I just got in the mail yesterday and have been charging batteries with it. Very impressed so far. Already found a couple of my batteries were a little on the weak side, so I am reconditioning them. Well worth the $30 (charger only) from Amazon. I did the budget shipping so I would not pay any shipping charges and I got the charger in 5 days. Not too bad.

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After another full day of work with the Powergenix NiZn cells, I can say I'm pretty happy with them. I'm managing to avoid doing any compass recalibration through the course of a day - the discharge curve (voltage drop with use) is very flat. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that the voltage hangs right in there until it just drops off a cliff. In other words, these cells hang right in there until they're done, and then they're DONE and ready for a recharge. You don't get any real warning on the battery gauge. Reminds me of some old Pirelli tires I used to have. Grip was great right to the edge, but no warning when you got there.

 

Just avoiding the calibration has made it worth making another battery chemistry change in my line-up. I expect that cold weather use is going to make me very happy, too ... although I'll pass on that experiment until next year, thank you!

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1. Would the BC-700 charger charge 2,000 mA Eneloops ok?

2. Would 2,000 mA Eneloops be ok for the Garmin 450?

3. I couldn't find 2,500 or 2,700 mA Eneloops on Amazon. Do they exist and would they be better than the 2,000 mA?

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. There are no high capacity low self discharge NiMH in the market. The low self discharge ones are all around 2000 - 2100 mAH. If they exist, and the rating is not inflated, higher capacity is better, all else being equal.

 

There are high capacity batteries available (2500 mAH and up). The ultra high range costs disproportionately more, may not be rated all that accurately, and are not low self discharge, which means they're best if used within a week of being recharged.

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1. Would the BC-700 charger charge 2,000 mA Eneloops ok?

2. Would 2,000 mA Eneloops be ok for the Garmin 450?

3. I couldn't find 2,500 or 2,700 mA Eneloops on Amazon. Do they exist and would they be better than the 2,000 mA?

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. There are no high capacity low self discharge NiMH in the market. The low self discharge ones are all around 2000 - 2100 mAH. If they exist, and the rating is not inflated, higher capacity is better, all else being equal.

 

There are high capacity batteries available (2500 mAH and up). The ultra high range costs disproportionately more, may not be rated all that accurately, and are not low self discharge, which means they're best if used within a week of being recharged.

 

Excellent info, thanks for helping out.

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Sorry to keep bugging folks with this, but I figure there are lots of smart folks here, why not? :laughing:

 

I bought the BC-700 and an 8 pack of Eneloops. I used 2 Eneloops for quite some time, and I was really happy how long my Oregon 450 kept chugging along on them. I'm in fact rather surprised how long they stood up under some intense usage the past few days. They are starting to get a bit low, though, so to avoid getting caught out in the field with dead batteries, I now want to charge them back to full. (Or, it dawns on me, should I just use them in the Oregon till they go completely dead, then swap them out in the field? Hmmm.)

 

So, assuming they are at, oh, maybe 25-40% full now, is simply popping them into the BC-700 the way to go on "Charge" mode/default? I don't need them right away, so it doesn't matter how long their charging up will take.

 

Or should I "refresh" them? Or "discharge" them (the two other BC-700 modes IIRC)? I'm not sure how best to treat the little guys to best ensure their longevity.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

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1. Stay far away from the Energizer rechargables. they are the worse way to spend your money. They don't last and don't hold a charge ( I have a LaCrosse smart charger too)
Your experience may be colored by the earlier Energizer NiMH cells. They've changed quite a bit over the years, including in capacity (2100mAh up through a couple of iterations, and now 2500mAh). For the last year or so, I've been rotating two sets of the 2500mAh version through my old BC-700, and if you can believe the LaCrosse and its "Test" function, they're holding up very well. It still reports something on the order of 2400mAh capacity.

The 2500 mAh Energizers are the ones I and a friend had problems with about a year ago. I bought 8 of them and a friend did likewise, if I charged them and used them right away they weren't too bad but if I charged them and didn't use them until 3 or 4 days later they would be almost dead.

 

I heard rumors that Energizers that had a green plastic ring around the positive post had problems and if they had a black ring they were ok. This may have been true because another friend bought some at the same time I did and he had black rings on his batteries and he never had any problems with them.

 

I called Energizer and told them what was going on and they replaced the batteries. I also asked about the green ring thing and never really got an answer, she kind of tap danced around the question. The replacement batteries did have black rings and they seem to be working like they should. From now on though I won't buy anything but the hybrids.

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I use some 2600 mAh rechargable batteries labeled "Powerizer" and a Powerizer charger that I bought from batteryspace.com The batteries have performed well for a couple of years, and the charger is excellent. It can handle 2 or 4 AA or AAA batteries, charges them quickly (with an indicator bar), then shuts off when they're charged.

 

I noticed today while on their site that there are now 2700 mAh AA batteries made by Sanyo.

 

BTW, Garmin now supplies rechargables with the 550t (and others?) but they're rated at only 2000 mAh. I may use them as a backup set or in a non-critical device at home.

Edited by Zen Cooker #1
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Costco has a rechargeable set for 20 bucks. Comes with 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries and a charger for 4 of them at a time. I have the Oregon 300 and the NiMH batteries last 3 times as long or longer than standard batteries.

 

I cant tell you if its a smart charger but for 20 bucks, I have no issue with replacing the whole set every year or so.

 

Don't get Costco. A good maha charger will take such good care of your batteries that you will never have to dump them. For $20 it's not smart. If you want your battereies to last years (a few of mine are 3 years old) get the good charger.

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Lots of great information in this thread. I have one question would you guys recommend going with the BC-700 or the BC-9009? Is the 9009 still having the overheating issues?
Finally you have a choice. The BC-9009 still wasn't available anywhere due to the recall issue. I gave up in frustration and found a BC-700 on Amazon. Working just fine. I would never use the higher charge currents available on the 9009 anyway, but the 9009 kit does come with some nice C and D adapters.
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What are the best batteries for the Oregon 450? I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge. What is everyone using?

I also have just purchased a oregon 450 and have a few rechargeable batteries around the house. These batteries were very old and layin around for 3-4 years, don't seem to hold a charge and will not take a complete charge over time. I have a Sanyo Quick Charger Ni-MH/Ni-Cd. it will hold 4 batteries. I've heard the Sayno 2700 are fairly good batteries for the Oregon 450. Would like some suggestions where I might find these batteries for sale. I live in Eastern Canada and lookin to find some.

 

Thanks,

Bryan.

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What are the best batteries for the Oregon 450? I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge. What is everyone using?

I also have just purchased a oregon 450 and have a few rechargeable batteries around the house. These batteries were very old and layin around for 3-4 years, don't seem to hold a charge and will not take a complete charge over time. I have a Sanyo Quick Charger Ni-MH/Ni-Cd. it will hold 4 batteries. I've heard the Sayno 2700 are fairly good batteries for the Oregon 450. Would like some suggestions where I might find these batteries for sale. I live in Eastern Canada and lookin to find some.

 

Thanks,

Bryan.

Just about any Nimh battery will work fine. Regular Nimh batteries will lose charge over time, the enloops or any pre-charged Nimh (hybrids) hold their charge better over time. I would not worry to much about capacity. My experience is the higher rated capacity batteries rarely reach the full capacity and the 2200 MaH to 2500 MaH batteries are fine for a day of caching.

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What are the best batteries for the Oregon 450? I'd like some that I can keep in the unit to recharge. What is everyone using?

I also have just purchased a oregon 450 and have a few rechargeable batteries around the house. These batteries were very old and layin around for 3-4 years, don't seem to hold a charge and will not take a complete charge over time. I have a Sanyo Quick Charger Ni-MH/Ni-Cd. it will hold 4 batteries. I've heard the Sayno 2700 are fairly good batteries for the Oregon 450. Would like some suggestions where I might find these batteries for sale. I live in Eastern Canada and lookin to find some.

 

Thanks,

Bryan.

Sanyo makes the Eneloop brand a very good battery IMO and if you keep an eye out on the Dell.ca site they have often gone on sale B)

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Sanyo Eneloops are the best.

This is exactly what we use and couldn't be happier.

 

Me too, the 2500 mah....best I've ever used and on electronic compass units calibration is seldom necessary.

 

2500? I thought 2000 mAh is the most they had.

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2500? I thought 2000 mAh is the most they had.

 

They have a newer model black XX battery that are 2500 mAh

 

http://ncix.com/prod...nufacture=Sanyo

 

Although this deal is hard to pass up ....$15 for 4AA and 2AAA w/ charger

 

http://www.ncix.com/...yo&promoid=1141

 

Edit: here is the product page http://us.sanyo.com/Battery-Products/XX-AA-4-Pack

Edited by savant9
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2500? I thought 2000 mAh is the most they had.

 

They have a newer model black XX battery that are 2500 mAh

 

http://ncix.com/prod...nufacture=Sanyo

 

Although this deal is hard to pass up ....$15 for 4AA and 2AAA w/ charger

 

http://www.ncix.com/...yo&promoid=1141

 

Edit: here is the product page http://us.sanyo.com/Battery-Products/XX-AA-4-Pack

 

I almost bought the "XX" 2500 eneloops a month or two back until I looked at the specs on the number of estimated recharge cycles and decided the 2000's were more than adequate and lasted MUCH longer cycle wise.

Edited by baloo&bd
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I almost bought the "XX" 2500 eneloops a month or two back until I looked at the specs on the number of estimated recharge cycles and decided the 2000's were more than adequate and lasted MUCH longer cycle wise.

I decided to get both.

 

The XX at twice the price for 25% more capacity does not make much sense financially, but I got it because, in the end, it's not that much money, and I wanted to see how well it performs. I got a set of 4 and initial impression is quite positive, but I haven't had enough use out of them yet to have anything worth reporting.

 

The XX is rated at 500 cycles, and the 2000 mAH Eneloops are rated at 1500 cycles. To put this into actual longevity numbers, if you recharge them once a week, a set of 4 will last you more than 9 years. If you go through a set of 2 batteries every day, they will last you 2 years 9 months.

 

By comparison, the 2000 mAH will last you over 8 years if you use 2 batteries every day.

 

BTW Sanyo just released the 1800 cycle Eneloops in Japan near the end of last year.

Edited by Chrysalides
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found on amazon

 

So are these what I should get? Are they the right batteries and charger? I am totally lost with this stuff but am just tired of running through lithiums :)

I'd suggest getting it from this Amazon link instead.

 

I'm not too crazy about the Eneloop chargers. Get either the LaCrosse BC-700 Maha MH-C9000.

 

I just ordered the MH-C9000 and 8 AA Eneloop batteries....Can't wait for them to get here...Thank you!

 

Just not sure I am going to be able to figure out the charger when I get it..haha Charges/discharges/tests? to much for me but I will try...haha

Edited by Buka2
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Just not sure I am going to be able to figure out the charger when I get it..haha Charges/discharges/tests? to much for me but I will try...haha

 

Here's the user's manual for the MH-C9000. According to what I see there, you're recommended to use the "break-in mode". This means you won't be able to use your batteries for 2 - 3 days.

 

Personally I don't bother with the break-in - I just recharge and use them. The Eneloops come pre-charged to about a 70% level, so you can use them fresh out of the package, but they won't have the full capacity obviously.

 

I would recommend changing the charging current from the default 1000 mA to about 500 mA for a more gentle recharge though. What do the MH-C9000 owners do?

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Just not sure I am going to be able to figure out the charger when I get it..haha Charges/discharges/tests? to much for me but I will try...haha

 

Here's the user's manual for the MH-C9000. According to what I see there, you're recommended to use the "break-in mode". This means you won't be able to use your batteries for 2 - 3 days.

 

Supposedly the break-in mode doesn't do much if anything for LSD batteries.

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